Officials are probing how a 51-year-old highway bridge came to collapse in the Italian port city of Genoa yesterday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

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The former Labor minister says there is a "huge" uranium deposit in the Gulf that's just waiting to be mined.

"My timescale was always if the Queensland government was to lift the ban on uranium mining then the huge deposit in the Gulf Country would be able to employ and train some of the indigenous people from the Century Mine," he told AAP.

Queensland's government lifted the ban on uranium mining in October last year, saying the state deserves the wealth and jobs it will create.

Mr McGrady says Mt Isa will be in business again if a uranium mine opens up in the region.

Century Mine is about 250km northwest of Mt Isa and has just over three million tonnes of contained zinc metal left.

MMG chief executive officer Andrew Michelmore said the mine has produced more than six million tonnes of zinc to date.

The company is investigating options for the Century processing facility and associated infrastructure.